Yusuf K. Serunkuma is a PhD graduate fellow at Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Makerere University, Uganda. Yusuf does fieldwork in Somaliland—an autonomous region of Somalia—and utilizes popular culture and literature to understand the ways in which Somaliland is building a national consciousness as different from Somalia. Yusuf is an SSRC 2014–2015 Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa proposal development fellow. Before joining MISR, Yusuf was editor with Fountain Publishers, and also worked at The Independent magazine as subeditor.

“Surely, Burundi has exposed us in East Africa the same way Somalia continues to. However, we need innovative thinking on how to address our crises and conflicts that reflect our histories, experiences, and struggles. We cannot ignore the context in which these scenarios are bred. It is important not to subscribe to a mindset based on flawed arguments, but rather embrace a more positive turn towards ‘no more war, give peace a chance.’ “